Blood Priest (5e Class)
The Blood Priest "The mind is something I look into on a daily basis, and every day I'm confused as to what I see. But yet, in a way, I understand it." ''-Gekko, a blood priest of the Order of the Masked'' A human clad in simple robes walks along a forest path. A gang of goblins emerges from the brush, arrows trained on him, their smiles wide at their good fortune of finding such easy prey for the legion’s slave pens. Their smiles turn to shrieks of terror as the traveler grows to giant size and leaps at them, his staff now a deadly cudgel. The militia forms in ranks to prepare for the orcs’ charge. The growling brutes howl their battle cries and surge forward. To their surprise, the human rabble holds its ground and fights with surprising ferocity. Suddenly, mindless fear clings to the orcs’ minds and they, despite facing a far inferior foe, turn and run, never noticing the calm half-elf standing amid the militia and directing its efforts. Baron von Ludwig was always proud of his grand library. Little did he know that each evening, a gnome laden with blank scrolls slipped past his guards each night and dutifully copied his most heavily guarded archives. When the duke’s men arrived to arrest him for dealing with demons, he never guessed that the gnome scribe traveling with them had spent more time in his keep than he had over the past year. These heroes are all blood priests, followers of a strange and mysterious form of power. Blood Priests shun the world to turn their eyes inward, mastering the full potential of their minds and exploring their psyches before turning to face the world. Blood Priests are incredibly rare, and most prefer to keep the nature of their abilities secret. Using their inner, psychic strength, they can read minds, fade into invisibility, transform their bodies into living iron, and seize control of the physical world and bend it to their will. Creating a Blood Priest When creating a blood priest character, think about what brought your character to the being that they study or serve. Did your character come to rely on the being by will, or were they forced into the business? Is their relationship with the being friendly, or do they wish to harm them? Has your blood priest dealt with beings similar in their life previously, or is this a completely new experience for them? Ask your GM about the possible powerful creatures that you could serve in your campaign world. Quick Build You can make a Blood Priest quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Intelligence, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the outlander or hermit background. Finally, choose a quarterstaff, leather armor, and an explorer's pack. Class Features As a Blood Priest you gain the following class features. ; Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d10 per Blood Priest level Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Blood Priest level after 1st ; Proficiencies Armor: Light armor Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords, scimitars Tools: None Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma Skills: 'Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Intimidation, Medicine, and Religion ; Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: * (''a) a scimitar or (b'') a simple weapon * (''a) studded leather or (b'') leather armor, a shortbow & 20 arrows * (''a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack * a dagger '''Table: The Blood Priest Blood Magic Your spells comes from channeling magic through your own life force, giving it form. Cantrips At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the blood priest spell list. You learn additional blood priest cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Blood Priest table. Blood Pool You can use a slashing or piercing weapon to gain blood magic points. As a bonus action, you can use the weapon to injure yourself and convert the damage you take into blood for your blood pool. You deal 1d10 slashing or piercing damage to yourself and you gain blood equal to the amount of damage taken. This damage cannot be mitigated in any way, and if you have temporary hit points, this damage ignores it. You can choose to increase the self damage dealt by any number of d10, to a maximum equal to half your blood priest level (min 1). You cannot have more than your maximum blood pool, and any blood in your blood pool dissipates 1 minute after it has been added to it. Preparing and Casting Spells The Blood Priest table shows the maximum spell slot level you can cast your spells at. To cast one of these spells, you must expend blood from your blood pool equal to twice the spell slot level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of blood priest spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the blood priest spell list. When you do so, choose a number of blood priest spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your blood priest level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level equal to or less than your maximum spell level. For example, if you are a 4th-level blood priest, you can cast spells up to 2nd level. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include seven spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell'' inflict wounds'', you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of blood priest spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list. Spellcasting Ability Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your blood priest spells. The power of your spells comes from your connection to your own body. You use your Wisdom whenever a blood priest spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a blood priest spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. * Spell save DC = '''8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier * '''Spell attack modifier = '''your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifer Ritual Casting You can cast a blood priest spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared. Spellcasting Focus You can use any weapon you are proficient with that deals slashing or piercing damage as a spellcasting focus for your blood priest spells. '''Crimson Shield The arcane forces that you conjure up when you remove blood from yourself protect you with a minor barrier of magic. When you deal damage to yourself to add blood to your blood pool, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (min 1). Red Church Starting at 2nd level, you choose to align yourself with a church of blood priests similar to yourself. Choose from the Church of Necromancy, Church of Power, and the Church of Vampirism, all featured at the bottom of this class description. Your choice grants you features at 2nd, 6th, 9th, and 15th levels. Flesh Brand Beginning at 3rd level, marks and other distortions of your body appear on your flesh, empowering you from all of your manipulation of blood. You gain one flesh brand of your choice. Your flesh brand options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain blood priest levels, you gain additional flesh brands of your choice, as shown in the Brands column of the Blood Priest table. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the flesh brands you know and replace it with another flesh brand that you could learn at that level. Ability Score Increase When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Dark Life At 5th level, your life force is under your control, only letting you fall when you choose. When you would be reduced to 0 hit points or fewer but not slain outright, you can expend blood equal to your blood priest level. You are reduced to 1 hit point, instead. Improved Flesh Brand By 11th level, your control over your body has increased even more, letting you manipulate the brands on your form. After you take a long rest, you can choose one of your flesh brands you know: that flesh brand becomes it's Improved Flesh Brand version. You can change this selection after a long rest. At 18th level, you choose two flesh brands instead of one. Bleeding Critical Starting at 14th level, blood is collected by you from your strongest hits. When you score a critical hit with a weapon attack or blood priest cantrip, you gain blood equal to half of the damage dealt. Improved Crimson Shield Beginning at 17th level, the temporary hit points from your Crimson Shield feature are equal to your blood priest level, instead. Sanguine Fountain At 20th level, blood flows through you even without it seeming to be anywhere. When you roll initiative and have no blood in your blood pool, you gain 12 blood. Deep Ocean's Sect The being that you have studied is not one that is on a different plane, but instead lives in the darkest, deepest depths of the oceans. Those who worship these beings-the beings known as Deep Ones-typically live in the oceans themselves, such as the sahuagin or the tritons, but their formidable size makes most of them larger than the ships of merchants. Entering the Deep When you study this sect, at 1st level, you gain aquatic abilities similarly to the followers of the deep ones. You gain a swimming speed equal to your base walking speed, and can breathe underwater indefinitely. Additionally, while underwater, you have darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Tendrils Beginning at 5th level, you can sprout up to two tentacles from your body. They can grasp things within 10 feet of yourself, and you can manipulate them just almost as well as your hands, however they cannot equip shields or weapons with the two-handed property. If you make a weapon attack with a tendril, it deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage, and you can make one additional tendril attack as a bonus action. Insulation Starting at 9th level, your skin has become resistant to the crackling storms and coldest depths of the ocean. You gain resistance to lightning and cold damage. Drag to the Depths By 17th level, you can call upon a deep one to rip through the ground, and drag a foe to the watery depths. When you hit a creature with an attack, you can use this feature to have a giant kraken rip through the ground, and then pull it into the ground. At the end of your next turn, the target returns to the space it previously occupied, or the nearest unoccupied space. It takes 10d10 cold damage from the freezing temperature of the ocean. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. Elder God's Sect Even though not much is known about those in these sects, the elder god's sect is the most iconic of all the sects, with even a few commoners knowing that they exist. Worshiping gods that have fallen from their old places as rulers of the universe, they understand that while that they are not in control anymore, they are not dead; instead, they are merely just dreaming, and will awaken one day. Unspeakable Horror When you choose this sect, at 1st level, you can use your action to frighten someone with the truths written in your grimoire. When you do so, choose one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. If the creature can hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. On subsequent turns, you can use your bonus action to extend the duration of this effect on the frightened creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends if the creature ends its turn out of line of sight or more than 60 feet away from you. If the creature is affected by this for a minute or more, it gains a Short-Term Madness effect for the next hour. If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you can't use this feature on that creature again for 24 hours. Shrieking Doomsay Beginning at 5th level, the truths of your grimoire strike further fear into the hearts of the unknowing. You add your Wisdom modifier to the damage of Doomsay, and if two creatures within range of Doomsay when you use it are within 5 feet of one another, you can have Doomsay affect them both. Brink of Madness Starting at 9th level, your knowledge of the true inner workings on the universe have harmed your mind, but in doing so, strengthened it. You have resistance to psychic damage, and are immune to being frightened. Otherworldly Resistance By 17th level, everything you now know surrounds you, protecting you from the things in the world that do not conform to the true realities of existence. You have advantage on saving throws against spells. Elemental Sect While their power is what forged the world from the flaming ball in space that it originally was, the raw force that elementals bring is not respected by most peoples of the realm. However, for those that do see the abilities of the elementals for what they are, as nature itself bending to the will of sentient creatures, and choose to give it proper respect, they reap the benefits. Natural Specializaton When you choose this sect, at 1st level, you choose one of the following elements; Air, Earth, Fire, or Water. Your choice affects later features in this archetype. Elemental Manipulation Additionally, at 1st level, the elements of the world bend to your whim and specialization, transforming to others. When you deal damage with an outer writing that deals acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage, or when you deal damage with Doomsay, you can change the damage type to the one corresponding with your Natural Specialization feature. Piercing Might Beginning at 5th level, the force of your elements penetrates the defenses of other beings. You ignore resistance to the damage type from your Natural Specialization feature, and treat immunity to it as resistance. Sentinel of the Elements Starting at 9th level, your attunement to your element protects you from it. You have resistance to the damage type of your Natural Specialization feature. Summon Raw Force By 17th level, the elementals have acknowledged you, and help you succeed in your goals. You can cast conjure elemental, conjuring up an elemental associated with your chosen element on your Natural Specialization feature, without expending a spell slot or components. You do not need concentration to keep the elemental friendly to you, but if you attack it while not concentrating on it it will grow hostile to you. After using this feature, you must take a long rest before doing so again. Hunter's Blood Sect Gods that demand the blood of the innocent, or of the foes of the society that worship them, are not a new concept to the world. Even in the most ancient of societies, human sacrifice has been seen as a necessary evil, to appease most gods. While this practice may not be seen as appealing or righteous now, it is still one that your being demands its followers do. Bonus Proficiencies When you choose this sect, at 1st level, you gain proficiency in shortswords, rapiers, whips and shields. Mark for Death Additionally, at 1st level, the being demands blood, and you can supply. As a bonus action, you can mark a creature within 60 feet of yourself, for 1 minute. Whenever you deal damage to that creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (min 0). You have 1 usage of this feature, which is restored if a creature is killed with the mark on it. If expended, the usage restores after a short or long rest. Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Divine Protection Starting at 9th level, the mark causes your powerful being to take pity on you, defending you. Attacks on you made by the creature you have marked have disadvantage. Blood for the Blood God By 17th level, the sacrifices that you seek come to you far easier, as you rip foes to pieces. When you deal damage to a creature marked for death, you deal a bonus 1d8 necrotic damage. Additionally, creatures sacrificed by your Sacrifice feature are worth three times as much as normally. Outer Writings Outer writings can each be used one time, and then must recharge after a short or long rest. You must possess one outer writing of a level below the writing, unless it is a 1st-level outer writing. 1st-Level Curse As an action, you force one creature within 30 feet of yourself to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the creature has disadvantage on the first saving throw it makes within the next minute. Deathgrip You cast inflict wounds without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. Face of Torment You cast disguise self without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. Hellfire You cast burning hands without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. Hideous Flesh As an action, you force one creature within a radius of touch to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the creature's body looks horribly disfigured and maimed for the next hour. You can end this effect as a bonus action. Punish Heresy You cast bane ''without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. '''Rapid Speech' As a bonus action, you use your Doomsay feature. 2nd-Level Arachnid's Tapestry You cast web without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. Disappear As an action, you become invisible, for 1 minute. This invisibility can be ended early, as a bonus action. When you deal damage to a creature, or if a creature is suffering from long-term or indefinite madness, you are revealed to that specific creature. Enter the Mind You cast detect thoughts without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. Fire God's Saber You cast flame blade without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. Lying Vision As an action, you force up to 3 creatures within 30 feet of yourself to make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed saving throw, creatures that failed the saving throw perceive horrifying eldritch monsters that appear to follow your commands, for 10 minutes. You can control the creatures, which act on your initiative, but they are unable to take any actions, and are unable to be harmed. Minor Blessing You cast magic weapon without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. Shifting Form You cast alter self without a spell slot or components, at its lowest level. Multiclassing Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Blood Priest class, you must meet these prerequisites: Wisdom 13 Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Blood Priest class, you gain the following proficiencies: simple weapons, scimitar, light armorCategory:Classes